Friday, March 27, 2015

My Weekend Crush

Sometimes we scoff when folks call themselves allies. Like, anyone can say they support us, but how about you show us instead, eh? But the concept of an ally, and building allies, is always invaluable. The minority will always need the majority to come to their side for real, lasting change to occur. But, as happens all too often, one minority group ends up fighting with another minority group for progress/approval/support. And that’s just ridiculous. Also, just as ridiculous, is when people who belong to multiple minority groups are asked to choose which one takes precedence over the other. As if we can simply lop off one part of ourselves and put it on a shelf.

But in both regards we must resist this idea of an Otherness Olympics. For me my femaleness and my gayness and my Asianness are all part of one complete package. And it’s like that for so many others as well. So then for us as the gay community our support of the feminist community and the trans community and communities of color and so many others must be unwavering. (And, of course, for so many of us in various communities it already is.)

So when people get that intersectionality, like really get it, it makes our hearts swell. Which is why listening to Kerry Washington’s GLAAD Media Awards Vanguard Award acceptance speech is so damn wonderful. I got to see her three years ago at the GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco when she introduced Shonda Rhimes and she was just as lovely then. Her message of seeing each other, helping each other, believing each other’s fundamental humanity and celebrating our otherness is one everyone should hear. Be bold, be allies - all of us. Happy weekend, all.